Drive for continuous processing machines



1952 H. w. SACHS ET AL 2,584,293

DRIVE FOR CONTINUOUS PROCESSING MACHINES Filed April 17. 1947 20 2 I0 2/ g I: I7 2 a [HI u l 2 a J 5 8 l4 l3 9- l 2 I8 22 23 /9 /a zo// 2 /0 .52; rw' i /o J T 2/ 9 I. 9 6 5 k l2 0 7 h i: h nu E 7 4 H 5 a 8 a 4 /5 6 P INVENTORS rw WSac/w- Patented Feb. 5, 1952 "DRIVE FOR-CONTINUOUS PROCESSING IM'ACHIN ES fHans W. Sachs, iBinghamton, N.'Y.., and Charles (l. Borck, Chicago, 111., assignors "to Remington Rand In'c., Buffalo, N. 'Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 1-7, 1941, "Serial .No.' 742,058

5 -Glaims.- (Cl. '271-e2.3)

This invention relates to a drive mechanism for continuous film processing machines adapted for handling continuous strips of film.ipaper, etc,-

"The invention deals particularly with .the type or continuous jfi'lm processing machine shown in Patent No. 2,146,170 patented February 1939, and improves the friction drive mechanism used .in machines of the type shown in said' patent,

l'Machines of the type .s'hownin the aforementioned patent are subject to disadvantages that render i'their operation inefiicient and unsatisfactory, because of excessive resistanoetorotation onv the part of idlespools, and resistance due to liquid drag acting on thefilm .loopssuspended over the idle spools. The liquid drag causes accumulation of slack on idle spools which the drive mechanism is unable to control because of excessive tension .on film strands engaged with the driven spools. While the drive mechanism of prior v.art machines for each suecessive bank of spoolsis constructed to drive the spoolsineach successive bank slightly, faster than the preceding bank ,for the. purpose of preventing slackand at the same time allowing slippage in thedrive'mechanism to prevent excessive tension on the film strip. from breaking or damaging the film; it has been found that by reason of theforegoing disadvantages the tension on the feeding of the film with'the elimination of slack in the loops on idle spools, at the same time controlling the tension on the film to prevent excessive tension. 'This is accomplished by providing a drive mechanism in each spool bank havin frictiondrive means for positively driving the shaft carrying the upper set .of film spools and apositive friction drive for a selected spool or spools. This drive arrangement tends to 1'0- ta-te all of the idlespools, where they are freely rotatable on the shaft-so that they 'will tend to rotate :at the speed or the positively driven'shaft while the driven spools positively feed the film and through disengageable friction contact of a drive pulley therewith, provide for control of tension on they film and elimination of slack in cooperation with the shaft drive. The friction drive for the spool shaft is preferably arranged so that tension onthe .film will operate the spool shaft so as todisengage the drive for the shaft independently of the disengagement .of the iriction drive 'fforthe spools through excessive film tension.

.In the drawing:

.Fig. 1 .is a vertical cross-section through a processing tank showing the upper portion .of a .film supporting and drive mechanism in elevation.

Fig. '2 is a vertical cross-section taken .on line 2-2 .of.F.'ig. .1.

Fig. .3 is .a fragmentary cross-section similar .to .Ffig. .1 showing .a modified construction.

.Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 4-4 of .Fi 3.

Theprocessing machine to which the present invention .isapplied provides .a support II which maybe one of a plurality .of tanks for developing, fixing and washing photo-sensitized film and other apparatus .for treating the film such as dryingand the. like, of any suitable construction. Angle members 2 are mounted in spaced parallel relation along opposite .upper side edges of support .or tank I and provide the means vfor supporting thefilm carryingand feeding mechanism. The .film supporting mechanism provides upper andlowerspaced parallel shafts carrying .a plurality .of film spools, .only the uppershaft being illustrated at 4 carrying a plurality of film spools .5. .Shaft 4 isrotatably mounted .atopposite ends inlball hearings .or the like .5 .carried by saddles I slidably mounted on pairs .of spaced parallel rods B, atropposite sides of the tank..as disclosed in said patent. Saddles .1 are supported on pairs of spaced parallel rods .9 extending through the lowerfianges of each .angle member 2.for vertical movement therein and resiliently supported by springs 10 engaged about rods .9 above angle members 2. Nuts l l threaded on the upper ends .of .rods .9 engage the upper ends of springs I0 and provide means for .adjustably supporting saddles and opposite ends of shaft 4 .in resiliently suspended relation in tank I from angle members v.2.

.The lower shaft arranged in spaced parallel relation to shaft-41s supported by rods .8 and wtherethrough durin processing.

provided with a plurality of film spools .for cooperation with spools 5 .in having the film strip looped over spools .Sand .thespools-on the lower shaft to provide a spool bank on which film is supported in support or tank I for movement This construction as disclosed in the drawing and herein described, corresponds .to similar structure in the aforementioned patent.

Spools are rotatably mounted on shaft 4 and retained in adjacent relation against endwise movement by collars l2. Film is fed in any suit able manner over guide spool 13 rotatably mounted on bracket I 4 carried: by one of the angle members 2 and provides a film entering position on a processing machine from which the film is fed to the first'bank of film spools and looped over the spools 5 of the first bank on upper shaft 4 and the corresponding spools on the lower shaft in substantially the same manner as disclosed in said patent. When the film leaves this first bank of film spools 5, it is then extended to a second bank of film spools similar to this first bank where the film is looped over the each spool bank throughout the processing marespective spools on the upper and lower shafts".

and then successively passed to successive spool banks in a similar manner. banks is mounted on or suspended in supports or tanks I, ,or other processing equipment, in the manner hereinabove described, and as further disclosed and described in said patent.

The present invention provides for the rotion provides a driven disc l5 rigidly secured to f one end of shaft 4 in any suitable manner and having a periphery of less diameter than the periphery of film spools 5.

The film drive mechanism has a drive shaft I6 for each spool bank. One end of each drive shaft I6 is mounted in a bearing I! on one angle member 2, as illustrated in the drawing, while the opposite end has a bearing in gear box l8 on the other angle member 2. A bevel gear 19 is mounted on the free end of shaft IS in gear box [8 in mesh with bevel gear 20 mounted on longitudinal drive shaft 2| driven by a suitable source of motive power. This mounting of shaft I6 is similar to that shown in the aforementioned patent.

A drive pulley 22 is mounted on one end of shaft l6 adjacent one angle member 2, as shown in the drawing, and provided with a peripheral band 23 providing a friction drive surface on the periphery of the drive pulley for engagement with the peri hery of driven disc l5 for positively rotating shaft 4 by means of drive pul ey 22 and driven disc IS in the rotation of shaft Hi. This drive arrangement provides part of the feature of the present invention.

Each of the spool chine, provides means for pulling the film into and'through the spools in the bank and it is by this feature of the present invention that control of slack and tension on the film may be obtained in each spool bank independently of adjacent spool banks. Film being processed may be successfully fed at high speed according to the present invention without developing slack or excessive tension.

In operation, the drive mechanism hereinabove described provides for the positive drive of shaft 4 carrying upper film spools 5, so that all of the idle film spools 5 will have a tendency through the friction between the bore of the spool and shaft 4 to rotate with shaft 4 at a faster rate of speed than driven spools 5 engaged with drive pulley 24. This eliminates the formation of slack on the idle spools previously occasioned by reason of the idle spools normally not rotating until caused to do so by frictional engagement of'film therewith during feeding movement of the film strip through the spool bank. This normal tendency of idle spools 5 to rotate with shaft 4 at a faster rate of speed than the film feed, will tend to aid in the feed of the film to avoid slack caused by liquid drag on the film strip in the processing liquid in tanks I.

A drive pulley 24 has a peripheral band 25 thereon and is rigidly secured to drive shaft I 6 at the end opposite drive pulley 22 adjacent the other angle member, as shown in the drawing. The periphery of band 25 provides a friction drive surface on drive pulley 24, normally adapted to frictionally engage the periphery of one or more film spools 5 at the end of the spool bank from which the film leaves the bank. The diameter of drive pulley 24 is less than the diameter of drive Whenever this tendency drive of idle film spools 5 creates sufiicient tension in the film strip engaged over idle spools 5, 'it will move the end of shaft 4 carrying driven disc l5 downwardly.

Saddle I at one side of the tank adjacent disc I5 moves downwardly with rods 9 against the tension of springs l0. By this operation, the periphery of driven disc l5 will disengage the periphery of drive pulley 22 so that rotation of the shaft will slow down until the tension on the film' engaged on the idler spools is relieved whereupon 1 strip engaged with driven spools 5 becomes'excessive', it will overcome the tension of springs I!) at the side of the machine adjacent driven spools 5 so that saddle 1 will move downwardly and the peripheries of driven spools 5 will disengage from the periphery of band 25 on drive pulley 24. Again, when the tension is relieved, driven spools 5 will again engage the periphery of band 25 on drive pulley 24. It is believed that this engagement between driven disc l5 and drive pulley "2 and between drivenspools 5 and drive pulley 24 in the normal operation during the feeding of film through the machine, will be of a bobbing nature. This will vibrate shaft 4 and film spools 5 carried thereby during the film feeding operation and agitate the feeding operation to secure more emcient feeding of the film strip in each bank to efiectively eliminate slaclgas well as ex cessive tension. The operation is such that should slack develop on any'of the idle spools, the tend ency drive by positive rotation of shaft 4 in combination with the operation of driven spools 5 will automatically take up the slack in the spool bank and prevent excessive tension.

With the driven film spools 5 at the film leaving end of the spool bank, it will be understood that this positive film feeding operation in each I bank will, in combination with the positive friction drive of shaft 4 normally tending to rotate f idle film spools 5, produce a cooperation to con-.

trol and eliminate slack and excessive tension on all film spools within the spool banks without in any manner interfering with the operation of adjacent spool banks and the control of slack and tension therein.

A modified form of drive is illustrated in Figs.- 3 and 4. In this modified drive, the driven spool or spools 5 indicated by the numeral 25, is rigidly secured against rotation 'on shaft 4 by'a pin 21 or other suitable means. In this form of the invention, drive pulley 22 and driven disc are omitted so that all of the idle film spools 5 on shaft 4 will tend to rotate with positively driven shaft 4. Shaft 4 will be driven through driven spools 5 from drive pulley 24 at the same speed as driven spools 5, and the tendency to drive idle spools 5 will be at the same rate of speed as driven spools 5.

Whenever the film loops on idle spools 5 at the end of the spool bank opposite to driven spools 5 have the tension increased to an excessive amount,

springs, 10 may be compressed to compensate for. the increased tension until it is transmitted spools 5 out of contact with the periphery of band 25. In this way, this modified form of'film drive will control slack and excessive tension in each spool bank independently of adjacent spool banks, in the same manner as previously described, through the rotation of shaft 4 tending to drive idle spools 5 in combination with driven spools 5 by the operation of drive pulley 24 and the resilient mounting of shaft 4 by springs I 0.

The invention claimed is: I 1. In a drive for film processing machines, a support, an upper spool shaft, means at opposite ends of said shaft rotatably carrying said shaft and having a resilient mounting on said support for independent movement of each end of said shaft relative to said support, said upper spool shaft having a plurality of film spools rotatable thereon to form the upper series of spools in a spool bank, a drive shaft rotatably mounted on said support in spaced parallel relation above said upper shaft, a drive pulley on one end-of said drive shaft having friction driving engagement and cooperation with a film spool atone end of the series on said upper shaft, and .disengageable drive means between the opposite end of said drive shaft and said upper shaft for driving said upper shaft in the same direction as said driven film spool, said first-mentioned means norm-ally moving said upper shaft toward said drive shaft to retain'said film spool in driving engagement with said drive pulley and said disengageablc drive means in driving engagement, said upper shaft having opposite ends independently movable away from said drive shaft upon development of undesirable film tension for disengaging said film spool from said drive pulley and independently disengaging said drive means.

2. In a drive for film processing machines as claimed in claim 1, wherein said disengageable driving means on said drive and upper shafts is formed for cooperation to drive said upper shaft at a faster rate of speed in the same direction as said driven film spool for cooperation in eliminating the formation of slack and excessive tension in film loops carried on said film spools.

3. In a drive for film processing machines having a support, a spool bank having an upper shaft carrying a series of film'spools rotatablethereon and resiliently suspended from said support, a drive shaft rotatable on said support in spaced parallel relation above said upper shaft, and a drive pulley on one end of said drive shaft having peripheral friction driving engagement with a film spool on the film leaving end of said upper shaft, the combination of means rotatably mounting said upper shaft relative to said support, a driven disc rigidly mounted on the opposite end of said upper shaft, and a drive pulley on the opposite end of said drive shaft having peripheral driving engagement with said disc for rotating said shaft in the same direction as said driven spools for cooperation in controlling slack and excessive film tension in film fed on said spools.

4. In a drive for processing machines, the combination of a support, a spool bank having an upper shaft carrying a series of film spools rotatable thereon, adjustable means resiliently and rotatably suspending said upper shaft from said support, a drive shaft rotatable on said support in spaced parallel relation above said upper shaft, a drive pulley on one end of said drive shaft having peripheral driving engagement with a film spool on one end of said upper shaft, and adjustable means normally retaining said film spool on one end in said peripheral driving engagement with said drive pulley, and disengageable means for positively rotating said upper shaft in the same direction as the film spool driven by said drive pulley through power transmission from said drive shaft, whereby excessive film tension on said film spool will move said upper shaft away from said drive shaft and disengage said film spool from said drive pulley and also disengage said disengageable means.

5. In a drive for processing machines as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for positively rotating said upper shaft is formed for driving said upper shaft at a faster speed than said drive pulley to take up and eliminate slack and tension in a film strip being fed through a spool bank.

HANS W. SACHS. CHARLES C. BORCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,891,225 Fear Dec. 20, 1932 2,096,231 Ensign et al. Oct. 19, 1937 2,099,245 Thompson Nov. 16, 1937 2,123,445 Van Leuven July 12, 1938 2,146,170 Brenbarg'er et a1. Feb. '7, 1939 2,210,880 Capstafi Aug. 13, 1940 

